A family from Italy was held hostage by kidnappers in Maili, West Africa for more than a year and a half. Rocco Langone, Maria Donata Caivano and Giovanni Langone have now been released; the couple and their son are said to be in good health.
In May 2022, the three Italians were kidnapped in a village on the outskirts of the city of Koutiala by a jihadist group believed to have ties to the Al Qaeda terrorist network. Four armed men stormed the parental home. They had lived there in a community of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The area is on the border with Burkina Faso, where numerous Islamist groups exist. Kidnappings are common in the area.
The family had lived in the settlement for years. After 44-year-old Giovanni moved there, his father Rocco (66) and his mother Maria (64) later followed.
The Italian foreign secret service Aise and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were involved in the release. The release could be negotiated through more intensive contact with tribal leaders and local secret services. Despite the long captivity, the three were in good health and should be brought to Rome on Tuesday, it was said.
Source: Krone
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